BRIDES OF BLACK HORSE MESA~TEXAS - Patricia Pacjac Carroll - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, Patricia Pacjac Carroll is a dear friend of mine. She’s a very popular author on Amazon. Most of her books are westerns, and I love them. I think you will, too.

Welcome back, Patty. Why did you become an author?

I have stories that attack me and want to be told. I believe the Lord gave me a gift and I love it.

If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

This my dream job.

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

Well, I love the old West, but to be honest, I am totally spoiled in the time that the Lord has placed me in. Not sure I would be happy without electricity and computers and AC. 

Amen to that, Patty. What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

Alaska.

Me, too, that and Hawaii. How about a foreign country you hope to visit? 

Israel

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently? 

Humility.  And that is an ongoing lesson. Lol

I became haughty and would tell people that if you gave me a name or place~ I’d come up with a story. And then one foggy night, I needed a story to put in an anthology for Christmas and proceeds to go to a charity. Well, friends gave me a name, a place, and my mind was blank. There was no story. It was due at noon the next day. I went to bed sad. I could not come up with a story. And I was a bit shaken. I boasted about being able to come up with stories, and I’d hit a dry well. But GOD, He got hold of  me and told me the stories are His. I woke up at 5:30 AM and had a picture of a cowboy on a horse pulling a Christmas tree and knew I had a story and that wasn’t even where the story started. And I did. I wrote the story and turned it in before noon. God is good.

Yes, He is. Please tell us about the featured book?

Brides of Black Horse Mesa is a collection of three mail-order bride novellas. I love these books. The characters surprised me at every turn. It all starts when the oldest of three brothers decides he needs a wife. Wait until you read Greta’s solution to her predicament at the end of her story. Tom and Maggie start their story off in a crazy twist that leads to Matt’s story. I hope you’ll enjoy these stories. I sure had a fun time writing them.

I am eager to read them. Please give us the first page of the book.

Greta’s Story

Iowa

1867

Greta Pederson lifted the beaten plant and groaned at the sight of the bug infested squash. Gone. What the insects hadn’t eaten, last night’s hail had ruined. They were finished. She dreaded going into the little farmhouse to tell Grandpapa.

She stretched her back. The letters in her pocket crinkled, reminding her of the possible escape from their dire circumstances. Perhaps her grandfather wouldn’t be so set against the idea of leaving the farm. She brushed the dirt from her hands, fished the first letter from her pocket, and opened it.

Wanted: A respectable woman twenty years to twenty five. Must not be ugly. Blonde hair a plus. Must know how to cook good and be friendly. I have a good ranch. Come west to Texas and Black Horse Mesa. Ask for Chase Logan.

She stuffed the letter back into the envelope. She’d already written to Chase and told him she’d come, and he’d quickly sent her the money for the travel fares. Dreading what she had to do, she trudged to the ramshackle two-room house.

Opening the door, her heart sank at the sight of the old man sitting in the rocker. Gently, she nudged him. “Grandpapa, we need to talk.”

Waking, he rubbed his eyes and stared at her. “Henny?”

She shook her head. Poor man more often than not drifted to the other world her Grandmother had passed into. “No, it’s me, Greta.”

“Ah, I see better now.” His eyes brightened. “What is it my little Greta girl wants?”

“I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to Texas to Black Horse Mesa and marry Chase Logan. I’m taking you with me.” Shocked that she’d included him in her plans, she knew that was the only thing she could do. She couldn’t leave him alone.

I know my readers will love this story, too. How can readers find you on the Internet?

For more information about Patricia PacJac Carroll, please contact

email  …………..pacjaccarroll@aol.com

Web site………...http://patriciapacjaccarroll.blogspot.com/

FB https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaPacJacCarrollAuthor?ref=hl

Books by Patricia PacJac Carroll (They are also on Kindle Unlimited) http://www.amazon.com/Patricia-PacJac-Carroll/e/B008R9JCN2/ 

***Sign up for my newsletter, PacJac News, and receive notice when new books are available:

Click here >Newsletter.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Brides of Black Horse Mesa~Texas: Books 1-3

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

CONSTANCE: BRIDE OF FLORIDA - Patricia Pacjac Carroll - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, Patricia is one of my dearest writing friends. She’s been in the critique group that meets in my home for many years, and she’s helped me as much or more than I’ve helped her. Of course, all the people who are in the group—or have been in the past—have brought different strengths. As the Bible says, iron sharpens iron, and that’s what we all have done for each other.

Patricia is an Amazon bestselling author. She’s often at or near the top of the bestseller lists, and she’s very prolific. You’ll want to check out her other books as well. I love her writing style and her voice. I haven’t read this new book, because I just received it a few days ago. I’ll read it as soon as I finish the one I’m reading on my Kindle right now.

Welcome back, Patty. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I like to say I was zapped. The Lord reached down and grabbed me before I wandered too far away. Not that I was doing anything bad, but I was getting close to saying there was no God. (Can’t get much worse than that, but at least I was cold and not lukewarm) I was doing my taxes, Monday, April 16^th, and the miniseries Jesus of Nazareth was on. (maybe 1976) I’m not sure what I heard or saw, it may have been when Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, but whatever it was, I went 180 degrees from not believing to knowing that Jesus was the Son of God and the Bible was true. It was an amazing night.

Sounds amazing. I love nights like that. You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why? 

Oh, they’d be my writing buddies. Jackie Castle, Marji Laine, Kellie Coates Gilbert, and Janice Olson. Of course, Lena, you would be there too.

I love all those women, too. We’d have a fun, productive time. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

No, I write.  : )

Of course, you do, as your publishing history shows. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

Hmm, I may be so low key that I don’t realize when I should be embarrassed. One of my Thank-You-Lord-Jesus moments was when I sent out an email to one person about another person and it went to a loop. I still thank the Lord that I didn’t put the name about the person and they thought I was talking about someone else that wasn’t on the loop. Whew! God is good. I would have hated to hurt that person. God taught me a lesson.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

Start writing.

Tell us about the featured book.

Constance: Bride of Florida is a Sweet Historical Romance and #27 in the unprecedented 50 book American Mail-Order-Bride Series by 45 different authors.

Set in 1890 Florida.

Constance Penny has always done everything by the book. Follow the rules, be good, and hide. Can this letter to a man she doesn't know break her out of the shadows? 

Drake Ferris has dreamed of going to sea, but Father's ultimatum has him sending for a mail-order bride. When she comes, he'll take care of her, but she needs to know, he'll leave for the sea after they're married.

I like it already. Please give us the first page of the book.

Peeking from under her umbrella, Constance Penny stopped in front of the old, red-bricked apartment. She swallowed hard, skirted around a large puddle, and knocked on Roberta’s door. Constance heard nothing. Once again, she was too late. Hiding in her room, she may have well lost her chance at happiness.

Roberta opened the door and put a hand to her hip. “I bet you’re here to get a copy of the Grooms’ Gazette. Oh, come in out of the cold and rain. I tried to get you to take one at the meeting.” She pointed. “I’m busy packing. The papers are on the table by the door.”

A trickle of rain dripped down Constance’s back causing her to shudder. Words stuck in her throat, so she just stood, feeling awkward and unwelcome.

Roberta cocked her head and then rushed to give her a hug. “You’ll be fine, Constance. The Good Lord put a spark of courage in everyone. I hope you find yours.” She tapped on the Grooms’ Gazette. “Pick a man and go after him. Everyone else has scattered across the country looking for a husband and fortune. Go get yours. Now, I’ve got to get packed. I’m meeting my man in Wisconsin. Bye, dear. And good luck.”

After another brief hug, Roberta left her.

Constance stood alone in the middle of the room, wondering if the Good Lord had forgotten to deal her a portion of courage. “I have got to get on with my life. If I don’t do something now, I’ll die an unknown pauper having known nothing of life. Today is the day.”

With a shaking hand, she took a paper, opened it and scanned the ads. All of them had pencil marks through them except for one in Florida and another from Georgia. Looking around, she grabbed another copy and stuffed it inside her coat. Her distant cousin, Mollie, in Georgia might be interested.

After a quick gaze to Roberta’s room, Constance put a hand to her chest to try to stop her pounding heart. No one would know she took more than one paper. A little excited and proud that she’d stepped out and broken a rule, she held her head high.

Until Roberta, carrying a satchel, walked out of her room. “So, did you finally decide to take one of the papers?”

Constance’s heart slammed against her chest. “Yes, I did.” I took two. Her brave thought disappeared in the event Roberta read minds.

“Great. Hope you find a good man. I’ve heard that the matchmaker in Beckham is the best and only picks good men. Good luck, sweetie.”

With her throat constricted, Constance squeaked out a “thank you” and bolted for the door.

“Constance!”

She’d been caught. Fear like lightning shot through her, bringing her to a halt. Constance put her head down and turned back.

Roberta stood at the door holding her umbrella. “You might need this. It’s supposed to rain all day.”

Relief tumbled through her. “Yes, thank you.” She took her umbrella and walked down the street. She’d gotten away with taking an extra paper. Surprisingly, it felt good to have broken a rule.

Of course, Roberta had made no such rule, but even where there weren’t spoken rules, Constance made them up and restricted herself. If she constantly toed the imaginary lines, no one would notice her. She’d lived her life wanting to hide, content to live in the shadows. Yet, she always dreamed about being part of a family, but that was impossible without a husband.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

For more information, please contact:

Email  …………..pacjaccarroll@aol.com

Web site………...http://patriciapacjaccarroll.blogspot.com/

FB https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaPacJacCarrollAuthor?ref=hl

Books by Patricia PacJac Carroll  http://www.amazon.com/Patricia-PacJac-Carroll/e/B008R9JCN2/

***Sign up for my newsletter, PacJac News, and receive notice when new books are available: Click here: Newsletter.

Thank you, Patty, for sharing this book with me and my readers. I know they'll want it as much as I did.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

Constance: Bride of Florida (American Mail-Order Brides Series Book 27) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

WARM MULLED KISSES - 10 Novella Collection - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, I've become a publisher. The first book released will be a 10 novella collection by mid-October. Six of the authors are multi-published and five are debut authors. All of them, including me, are in the critique group that meets in my home.

I'm excited about this collection. We have seven contemporary stories. And we have three historicals, one set in WWII and two that are westerns.

I'm in the process of the final edit of all the novellas. We have a wide variety of stories I think you'll like.

The line-up includes:

Reindeer Games - by multi-published author Lisa Crane

Luke Anderson is only at the mall as a favor to his sister and her two children. When he sits down in the only open chair he can find in the food court, he never imagines his life will be turned upside-down. A woman he knows only as Callie, dressed as one of Santa’s reindeer, leads him on a merry chase. Will Luke get the Christmas gift he really wants? Will he find the intriguing woman with the amazing green eyes? Maybe, just maybe, with the help of the whole city … A modern-day Cinderella with a twist of mistletoe, Reindeer Games will have you laughing and sighing.

No Thank You - by multi-published author Lena Nelson Dooley

Social Director Scarlett McKaye loves planning things down to the last detail. But what she didn't count on was having to spurn the bold advances of a reckless suitor. When she was in college, her reckless fiancé was killed. She never wants to stand by the grave of the man she loves again. How far will daredevil Derrick Greene have to go to cancel Scarlett's reservations?

A Riveting Christmas - by multi-published author Jackie Castle

In 1945, Charles Madison returned home from WWII full of hope and a fistful of sweet-scented letters from his childhood friend and girl of his dreams. Eager to resume his life and enjoy some hard-earned peace, he aims to marry Emma Rose who was as exquisite as the flower she was named for. But when Charles steps off the bus, he’s greeted not by a pretty rose, but a thorny bush he barely recognizes.

Emma Rose Carter fought her own war while the men were away. She faithfully wrote to the soldiers fighting on the front lines, offering encouragement and prayers. However, her father’s death at sea send her mother into depression, and Emma Rose now works two jobs to help keep the family afloat. Left feeling greasy and haggard at the end of every workday, she has no patience for men seeking a dolly that will hang on their arm. She’s looking a true friend who will stand with her and walk out whatever bombs life drops on them.

Will she find her heart’s desire in her ol’ pal Chuck or in the ambitious factory boss who promises to sweep her off her feet?

Christmas Apples - by multi-published author J A Marx, and debut author Sydnie Shreffler

Bailey Chapman's son asks for only one gift for Christmas—a daddy. Carrying the burden of her husband’s death, Bailey makes her annual visit to her hometown to take care of her husband’s estate. Her old high school nemesis drops a hurdle in front of her that compromises her schedule. Overwhelmed at having only eight days to complete the task, Bailey fears she will not finish in time for Christmas, much less have any presents to bring home to her two children.

Mason Tolman, marine-turned-bored banker, hasn't forgiven himself for the accident that almost killed his high school sweetheart. When Bailey walks into the bank, carrying with troubles beyond her ability and resources, Mason resolves to help her, if only to atone for the accident.

Stepping out in faith, Bailey allows Mason to assist her. As they disassemble the estate room by room, they discover treasures that will change the future of the entire town. But can those treasures merge their mismatched paths into one?

Santability - by debut author Marilyn Eudaly

Radio Personality Trudy Moore needs the Santability promotion she designed to impress the new owners of K-FOLK radio. Now is not the time for her and her partner, Jim Cooke, to find a new venue for their talent.

Gunnar Stone is the corporate vice president with power to cancel Jim and Trudy’s “Cooke’n Up Moore Country” morning drive-time show. Trudy sees Gunnar as a grinch stealing the joy out of the Christmas season.Gunnar sees Trudy as a hazard to his career.

When New England based Clear Signal Broadcasting Systems buys K-FOLK radio in Arlington, Texas, everyone knows change is inevitable. Bah humbug attitudes prevail. The mystery of the mistletoe which appears and multiplies does nothing to lighten the mood.

Her career and future blurred by hurtful words, Trudy is caught between condemnation and forgiveness.

Saving Christmas - by multi-published author Patricia PacJac Carroll

Priscilla Christmas Humphry stared out on the bleak street of Al Drado, Texas. It had none of the holiday look of Baltimore. And it certainly didn’t have Eugene. Although, he said he’d come and take her away to marry her, he’d not shown up yet. Father had it in mind for her to marry a cowboy. Priscilla slammed her fist on the counter. That was not going to happen.

Rancher Steve Matthews wasn’t really looking for a wife, but after he went to the bank and saw Priscilla staring down a bank robber, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. She did come with a tall attitude and biting wit, but there was just something about her that drew him to her.

A fun story of twists and turns and father knows best.

The Gift Quilt - by debut author Kathy Wall

Ashley McDonald intends to bury her guilt by becoming a medical missionary. While waiting for the mission board to decide her fate, she cares for an elderly woman who introduces her to the gift quilt and to her grandson. Both cause Ashley to question her future and her faith.

Dr. Michael Davis accomplished his goal of becoming a medical doctor. Now he’s ready to start a family—only there’s no woman in his life who draw his interest. He meets Ashley, the woman his grandmother’s been raving about. She’s perfect, except she's going to Africa in a few months. 

Learning the truth of the gift quilt opens Ashley’s world to new possibilities, but could it also provide the answer to Michael’s dreams for a family.

No-L, No-L, No-L - by multi-published author Marji Laine
Noelle Arcoli fully expects to her father to promote her to the head of Arcolli Labs when he announces his retirement. He doesn’t. Instead, he worries that her dedication to her job has left her with no laughter, no love, and no life.

She is truly No-L.

He presses her to settle down and raise a family. She misunderstands that this is his stipulation for her becoming president. Having always done her best to please her papa, she attempts to get back into the dating game to at least try to obey his wishes.

But Donovan Arcoli has been grooming Nick Bannister for the position. Not that Nick wants the job. He’s been like part of the Arcoli clan since he became a teenager, though, and will do anything for the only true father-figure he ever had.

Noelle’s stress brings out Nick’s protective nature. In an effort to encourage her, he draws her out privately, as a friend. Yet the more time they spend together, the more his affection becomes less and less brotherly. Could he hold the answer to all of her problems?

A Groom for Christmas - by multi-published author Anne Greene

In 1851 when her father dies of cholera, Felicity Daniels is stranded at Ft. Laramie, one-third of the way to Oregon Territory. She owns two fully-loaded prairie schooners and the oxen to pull them. But her room and board at Sal’s Boarding House and the feeding of her oxen dwindle her papa’s money stash. All her life, due to her father’s vigilante life-style and the revengeful bad men on his trail, Felicity moved from one town to another with no opportunity to put down roots. She desperately wants the six hundred forty acres of free land offered in the brochures that set numerous wagon trains on their way northwest over the Oregon Trail.

Ben Bonneville has problems of his own. Living for the past two months at Sal’s Boarding House, he’s attracted to Felicity. But a wife doesn’t fit into his life’s plan. His mother needed expensive medical care that put Ben into great debt, so he’s off to join the 1849 Gold Rush. He’s committed to panning gold to pay his mother’s medical debts back East, and then becoming a circuit-riding preacher in the Gold Rush towns. Ben sympathizes with Felicity’s plight, but he hardens his heart.

A Christmas Mosaic - by debut author Karen Jurgens

Carlie Livingston is steering into her last year of college in Oxford, Ohio, confident that she and Lance Holloway are headed to the altar after graduation. Those plans are wrecked, however, by her dad’s infidelity, causing her parents to walk through a messy divorce. Will she have the same fate if she marries her college sweetheart who comes from a secular family? Her mother insists she will.

She tests God’s Word by letting Him take the wheel of her life. But if God is in control, why are all her close relationships crumbling?  Nothing makes sense.

Just when it appears hopeless, Clay McKinney two-steps into Carlie's life, promising to provide everything she’s looking for. But if he’s God’s answer, why can’t her heart release Lance? Where will her final destination be on this journey of trust?  

Don't these novellas sound like something you'd like to read?

When you leave a comment, please tell us which story you'd like to read first.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. I will send the book to you as soon as the book goes live in the Kindle store in mid-October. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

NETTIE'S LOVE - Patricia Pacjac Carroll - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, Patricia Pacjac Carroll is a dear friend. She’s been a member of the Lena Nelson Dooley Critique Group for a number of years. I’ve watched her writing grow and develop, and now she’s a very successful Indie author. She’s often on Amazon bestseller lists and on Amazon’s Most Popular Author lists. If you’ve never read any of her books, now’s the time to start.

Welcome back, Patricia. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I love to write about forgiveness and redemption. The world is full of so many broken people that I want them to know there is a way back.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I have Nettie’s Love releasing on Aug. 6th. And then I have a logjam of stories I am working on. Some are in Boxed collections that will be available in October. A very special secret project that will be available Dec. 15. And then who knows : )  Just last night a story attacked me, so you just might see it in the near future.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

These questions are always hard for me. I love my family and friends and enjoy spending time with them. As far as a famous person? Hmm, I guess I would have to say that I want my heart open to the Lord to see who HE would put in my path. Everyone is valuable in His sight.

What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Ah, here’s another one of those. : )  I’ll pick Lewis and Clark. I am adventurer at heart and can’t think of anything more fascinating than traveling and exploring over the next hill.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

Learn the craft. Don’t be discouraged because we are in the age of author freedom. Once you have a good handle on crafting sentences and stories, go Indie. Amazon has given the opportunity for anyone to publish a book and it doesn’t have to cost you anything. The biggest thing to do is to write and write often. Find someone that can critique your work and then write some more.

Tell us about the featured book. 

My newest is the first in a series set in Texas. Nettie’s Love is about a 40-year-old spinster in Minnesota. She’s known only life on the farm and now that her father has died, everything is sold out from under her and she’s to live with her brothers and their families.

In the 1867, many states reserved virtually no protection for women. They couldn’t own land. Sad but true. Texas and California were different because of their Spanish heritage. But for Nettie, she had nothing but the promise of more back-breaking work.

She finds an ad in the paper for a sheriff wanting a mail-order bride in her forties. He’s 45, and the town is retiring him. Reed Andrews doesn’t like the idea of retiring but has little choice. To make it tolerable, he sent off an ad for a mail-order bride, holding little hope of a woman wanting to come to Bluebonnet, Texas.

I think you’ll enjoy the story. There is sweet romance, a mystery, and wild west adventure as Nettie and Reed fall in love and set up Misfit Ranch in Bluebonnet, Texas, where in later books, Reed will help misfits find themselves and Nettie will find them brides.

I can’t wait until I can get my copy of the book.  It will go to the top of my to-be-read pile. Please give us the first page of the book.

Minnesota, 1867

Nettie Wellesley picked up a handful of the dark, rich soil and let it fall through her fingers to her father’s casket. He’d loved the land. More than her mother, her brothers, or her. Arnold Wellesley had been a farmer first. Now, he was gone and in the soil that he’d loved so dearly.

The spring wind blew against her face as she gazed at her brothers and their families. She was alone. She always had been. The only girl. Even her mother sided with the boys. It was as if at birth, Nettie, formally Annette, Wellesley was born to serve.

A worker bee. She did the dishes. Milked the cows. Collected eggs. Helped make dinner. Harvested the crops. Yes, the boys worked hard, too. It was a farm. All of them worked sunup to sundown. Nettie shoved aside the nagging sense of duty to milk the cows, reminding herself the barn was now empty.

The brothers had seen to it that as soon as Pa was in the ground, the farm changed hands. They’d arranged to sell everything out from under her sleeping father. Stroke, the doctor had said. After slumbering for a week, he’d slipped into the next world and the farm into the hands of strangers.

She accepted the pastor’s condolences and well-meaning words from neighbors who couldn’t even look her in the eye. Seems they had all profited on the demise of her farm. Her brothers had their own places. She, the only daughter and her father’s caretaker, was left with nothing and nowhere to go.

David rested his big hand on her shoulder. “Nettie, we, Jack, Bill, and I, decided you would come and live with me first.”

She stared into the image of her father in his younger years. David, the first-born. The dutiful son. With nothing of her own but the few clothes in her satchel, she nodded. They had decided. No one had seen fit to ask. Nor had any of the funds from the sale made it into her hands.

David shrugged uncomfortably. “It’s the way of the law, of family. We promised Pa to take care of you.”

She de-petaled a rose and threw the stem to the ground. “Of course. When do we go?”

He stared back to his family. Or more specifically to Annie, his wife. She stood with arms folded and lips set in a stern line on her already unfriendly face.

David turned back to face Nettie. “When you’re ready, we have a room for you. Off to the side.”

Wooden. It’s how she felt. As if she were already in her coffin and unable to stretch, breathe, or live. He wanted her to accept her fate graciously. Truth was, after taking care of an invalid mother for ten years, the farm, and then her father, she was just, God forgive her, plum out of grace.

“We’ll be at the wagon. Come when you’re ready.” He left her.

She could feel his relief at leaving. She’d felt it years ago when he’d married and taken over his wife’s family farm. And one by one, the brothers left her. No one came to her rescue. No man found her interesting.

Oh, there’d been that salesman, but father had chased him away with the old shotgun. Told her all the jasper wanted was her female prize, and when she later heard what happened to Lola Prater, she had to admit her father had been right.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

You can find my books on Amazon:

Patricia PacJac Carroll http://www.amazon.com/Patricia-PacJac-Carroll/e/B008R9JCN2/

FB https://www.facebook.com/patriciapacjaccarroll

Blog : http://patriciapacjaccarroll.blogspot.com/

~Please sign up for my Newsletter and get updates about my new releases: PacJac News

Oh, my goodness, Patricia. I’m going to love this new series. Thank you for sharing it with us. I've loved all your books.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

BOUNTY - Patricia Pacjac Carroll - One Free Book

Welcome back, Patty. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about? Forgiveness is one of my favorites. And Redemption. Hard to have one without the other.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I am working on a series of Mail-Order Bride stories. The Mail Order Brides of Hickory Stick. The first one – Caroline’s Love – should be out in June. And then I am working on the 2nd book, the story of Marcus and his lady, in the Love in Wyoming Series.

If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

Hmm, I think it would be Jeanette Oke. She helped start the Christian fiction line of books, and of course, she writes Christian Historical Romances.

When she was honored at the ACFW Conference, I was in a picture with Brandilyn Collins’ Mama Ruth, and Jeanette Oke was on the other side of her. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Actually, I have a ready answer for that one. While at Barnes and Nobles for a writing day, I sat under their painting of different authors, and I was underneath Zora Hurston. I had never heard of her and looked her up. She sounds like an interesting person that I’d like to meet.

How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

DON’T give up. Keep honing the craft. Publishers are in a crunch right now because of the economy and the changing face of publishing, so some of the rejections could be that your book doesn’t fit their needs right now. ALSO – consider Indie Publishing. It’s not hard, and if you’ve learned the craft - go for it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Bounty is about Cat Cahill, an independent young woman of Wyoming. Her mother wants her to marry a gentleman from the east. She does not. Then on one of her morning rides, she runs into Luke, and he steals her heart.

Luke Jordan is on a mission of mercy from his mother. With her dying breath, she hands him letters to give to his brothers. (A great book for Mother’s Day that shows how this mother reached beyond the grave to minister to her sons.) Sounds easy enough until you discover that Luke’s brothers are wanted outlaws. And they want him to join their gang.

Bounty is a story of sacrifice in the face of evil, love’s eternal power, and the discovery that a home is built on love and not a place.

Please give us the first page of the book.                                                    

Wyoming Territory

1879

I love the wind rushing against my face. No … I am the wind. Laughing, Cat Cahill dropped the closed reins, extended her arms like wings, and let her horse run full out. Far from any plans to send her to Boston. Far from any fancy-pants suitors. And far from Mother’s expectations.

Leaving her troubles behind, she urged her Pegasus on. The stallion’s long stride ate up the ground and turned Indian paintbrush and larkspur into blurred ribbons of red and blue. Like flint on iron, his hooves pounded the earth as she nudged him up the twisting trail to the top of the high ridge.

As if he knew her thoughts, the gray stallion slowed and came to a stop at her favorite perch, an outcropping of granite flecked with gold. Fool’s gold, she’d been told. She leaned on the animal's neck and listened to his heart beat strong and steady. “That’s what I am, Pegasus. A fool. At least according to some in Mother’s family.”

Cat slipped off the horse and eased toward the ledge. Stretched out on her stomach, she hung her head over the rim. Even though she’d done it a hundred times, excitement shot through her as she looked at the fifty-foot drop to the river.

The stallion’s hot breath tickled her back and sent shivers down her neck. She twisted and rubbed his almost-black muzzle. “That was a good run, wasn't it, boy?”

The animal tossed his head as if in agreement.

Cat chuckled, placed her arms on the rough rock, and snuggled her chin between her hands. Her mother frowned on the wild escapades. Time to grow up. How many times had she heard her say those words?

How can readers find you on the Internet? 

Email               pacjaccarroll@aol.com

Website           http://patriciapacjaccarroll.blogspot.com/

Fb                    https://www.facebook.com/patriciapacjaccarroll

Twitter             https://twitter.com/PacJac  @pacjac

Thank you, Patty, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Bounty: Christian Historical Romance (Love in Wyoming) - Paperback
Bounty: Christian Historical Romance (Love in Wyoming) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

DOWN TO EARTH - Patricia Pacjac Carroll - One Free Book

Readers, I’m thrilled to have my very good friend, Patricia Pacjac Carroll, back on my blog. You will be, too. I just recently finished reading her book, Golden Dreams. I hope you didn’t miss getting a copy of it. If you did, check it out. A very good historical, western, wagon train story.

Welcome back, Patty. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

More stories. Right now, I’m working on a series of mail-order bride stories.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have the best husband. He takes care of me and works hard so that I can write.  My son is wonderful. My latest book, Bounty is dedicated to him. And I can’t leave out the snarky overgrown papillon, Jacs. We are a blessed and happy famiy.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?  

Yes, unfortunately I have less time to read. While it is hard to turn off the editor, I know how hard it is to write a good story. So, I am pulling for author as well as the characters.

What are you working on right now?

Caroline’s Love. She is the first of mail-order brides to get her man. Unfortunately for her, she discovers that two other women have the same sweet letters that she answered.

What outside interests do you have?

Writing takes up the bulk of my time and life. Of course there is Jesus – He is the author and finisher of my faith. Friends. I love to laugh with my friends and yes, eat lunch or dinner out.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I love the Old West. So far all my stories are set in the West.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

I would have to Jesus. Can’t top an evening in the presence of the Lord.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

Work only on one computer. When I started writing, I had a desktop, laptop and a mini PC. I spent the whole first month of writing the first book by trying to figure out which chapter one to use. I had oodles of them. Organizing files is still an ongoing battle. BUT at least they are all on my laptop.

That’s why I like using Dropbox. When I work on a chapter, whether on my desktop or laptop, Dropbox syncs the files on both machines—and saves a copy in the Cloud, so I never lose it. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Discipline and diligence. And I need His help for those are hard for me. To go and play seems to be a loud voice of distraction for me. 

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Learn the craft.

Write and write and write

Find trusted author friends to critique your work and help brainstorm.

Tell us about the featured book.

Down to Earth is my only Contemporary Romance right now. It’s about a young widow with two small children and a snippy mother-in-law. She needs a loan to save the family ranch and is about to meet with the banker, an old flame, when a skydiver falls into the tree outside her home and into her life. Jenna is faced with risking her heart. She’d loved her husband, but he died. The banker offers security. Clay offers her love. Down to Earth is a story about second chances, love, and faith.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Prologue

His eyes glared dusky blue. A shade reserved for an anger Jenna Lairdon had only seen a few times in their marriage. She shuffled backward across the cool slats of the wooden floor and wished a hole would open up and swallow her.

The past month, Sam had grown distant. The financial hole they had dug for themselves created a canyon between them. Why had she bought that outfit, the shoes for Amy, and the boots for Sammy? Hot accusations of guilt battered her mind. Once again, she had failed.

A quick glance at Sam’s face set off an awkward rhythm in her chest. Her palms grew clammy. She kept quiet, muffling the witty remarks that threatened to escape. Humor would not diffuse this argument.

The crunch of paper drew her focus to him. He held up a wad of crumpled charge slips in his calloused hand. “The credit’s gone. We’re gonna lose Arrowhead.”

His family’s ranch. That was all he cared about. She turned to explain and stopped. His voice, deep with rage, didn’t scare her. Sam wouldn’t hurt her. She knew that. But the fear that clouded his face terrified her.

Jenna lowered her head. “I … I’ll return them tomorrow. I’m sorry, I should have known better.”

She could take Sam angry but not beaten.

“It’s too late.” His words a mere whisper.

She slipped onto the bed, grabbed her grandmother’s quilt, and scrunched the soft layers in her fingers.

Heavy steps jarred her. Sam swiped the keys from the cluttered dresser. His wild grab knocked their wedding picture to the floor and shattered the glass. 

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Email: pacjaccarroll@aol.com

Website: http://patriciapacjaccarroll.blogspot.com/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/patriciapacjaccarroll

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Patricia-PacJac-Carroll/e/B008R9JCN2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Thank you so much, Patty, for sharing this new book with us. This is a good book to feature on Earth Day. 


Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Down to Earth - paperback
Down to Earth: Contemporary Christian Romance - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

GOLDEN DREAMS - Patricia Pacjac Carroll - One Free Book

Readers, I’ve known Patty for years. We’ve learned the craft of writing together, and she’s a member of the critique group that meets in my home.

Welcome back, Patty. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write the kind of books that I would like to read. Clean with no foul language and no gratuitous sex. I do have sweet romance in my stories. : ) And my characters grow. They aren’t perfect but do learn along their journey. I love the freedom of the old West and enjoy writing about that period. It just brings out the adventurer in me.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Now that is a hard one. When I met my sweet hubby, dated him, and then married him. He is such a blessing in my life. And then of course the birth of my son, watching him grow into the good man he is today. I am just totally blessed.

How has being published changed your life?

One word – EXCITEMENT! I love that my stories are now available to readers, and I truly hope they encourage and bless those who read them.

What are you reading right now?

Another hard one. So many things are pulling at my time that reading has taken a back seat to the many hats I wear. I’m now in major editing for my next book to come out, Bounty. So she is taking up most of my time right now.

What is your current work in progress?

Oops, answered that one in the last question. Bounty is another historical romance set in 1879 Wyoming. Cat and Luke have gotten themselves into some fine messes that I am having to write them out of. : )

What would be your dream vacation?

I love road trips. Just to get in the truck and go, explore, discover. An Alaskan cruise doesn’t sound so bad either.

I’ve been on a road trip with you. I’d love to go on the Alaskan cruise as well. How do you choose your settings for each book?

Often, they choose me. I love the west, so they are going to be somewhere west of the Mississippi. Then I have to decide what my characters are doing to determine their best location.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Well, I tried to think of someone and could only come up with Jesus. (and HE is Alive) There is nothing like sitting at His feet.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I would have to say the thing I enjoy after writing and family would be my friends. They aren’t a hobby, but I do enjoy being with them.

I’m with yhou on that one. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

It is ME. HELP. LOL The Lord and I are still working on that one. I tend to be a little bit disorganized and then there is that D word that I don’t like. (Hint: it’s discipline.)

But you’re also very creative. Sometime, creative people are disorganized. What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Learn the craft and write. Above all else, write. This is an amazing time to be an author – so go for it.

Tell us about the featured book.

Golden Dreams

He's going east.
She's getting nowhere.
Until their dreams collide when a killer, land grant, and tornado throw them together on the California Trail.

Katy Gilbreth escapes the harsh saloon life with nothing but a wounded heart and scarred face. Vowing not to give up, she sets her sights on California where she can get away from the hauntings of the past and start over in a land full of Golden dreams. Katy trusts no man yet needs one to take her west.

Revelation Tarver is traveling east to reconcile with his father and God. Along the way, he has visions of a golden-haired woman with a scar on her cheek. But he has no plans to fall in love again. Then he stops for supplies in a nowhere town and sees Katy, the woman in his dreams.

Because of her past, Rev shuts his heart to Katy. After all, he’s been called by the Lord to preach, and he is headed east. Until a killer, land grant, and a tornado throw them together on the California trail. Katy and Rev embark on a journey where their dreams collide as they face the wild land, a wicked outlaw, and their own fears.

Sometimes you have to go through your past to reach your dreams. 

Please give us the first page of the book.

December, 1865

Independence, Missouri

The winter wind slapped Katy Gilbreth with an icy hand. A grim reminder that she’d only made it from Georgia to Independence, Missouri. Her plans to join a wagon train to California had been quickly dashed. Women like her were not allowed. She needed a man. A husband.

Irritation knotted her insides. By April, she’d used up what little money she’d saved from the Yankee deserters. Her scarred cheek and worn clothes had sealed her place among the unwanted. Hard times and harsher people had propelled her into a life she hated. She had no lack for men, but they were men that would keep any respectable suitor far from her.

 Shod hooves clattered on the boardwalk. Katy whipped a hurried glance over her shoulder and scrambled to the wall of the nearby store. Glaring at the drunken cowboy, she pressed her back against the rough siding and held her breath as he spurred his panicked horse toward her on the wooden walkway.

He passed her. Thankfully, the beast hadn’t trampled her toes. She exhaled and shook a fist at the rowdy. Gunshots rang out. More riders galloped down the muddied street, and in minutes, splattered mud on her worn cloak. Scoundrels.

Gusts of wintry air chased open the edges of her shawl. Turning, she wrapped the flyaway cover around her and held it securely. She groused against the chill, but nothing would halt the sadness that had burrowed into her heart. Independence was a city cold in more ways than the weather.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

FB: https://www.facebook.com/patriciapacjaccarroll

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PacJac

Website: http://patriciapacjaccarroll.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Patty, for sharing this new book with us today.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Golden Dreams - Amazon
Golden Dreams - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

LIBERTY BELLE - Patricia PacJac Carroll - One Free Ebook

I've really looked forward to this day. Patty has been in the critique group that meets in my home for several years. I've enjoyed watching her grow and mature in her writing skills. Welcome, Patty. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

On purpose very little, but I seem to find myself in them. Especially the flaws. Hmm.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Threw a surprise retirement party for my sweet hubby. (Pray for that man : ) Since the dates were so close, I got my good friend to get my husband to plan a surprise birthday party for me not knowing he was planning his own party. He even cleaned the house for his own retirement party. He hasn’t let me forget that one yet.

(Actually, I could share a few other quirky things, but I won't.) When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I am a late bloomer. Played with it a little in high school, but back in the day we only read books by authors long dead. So it was never an idea I had of something that I could or should do.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I do like action with believable characters. Love historicals set in the Old West.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Oh, were we supposed to keep that? Seriously, the only way to keep sane in this crazy world is through Jesus Christ. He is the wind in my sails, and the life in my blood.

Without Him, I am nothing and lost.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

They just fall out of the air into my head. I am a seat-of-the-pants writer so I am often surprised by my characters.

Sometimes I do have to change the names later.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I think when I really got serious about writing and decided to finish a book rather than start a new one each week. : ) 

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I love horses, the idea of galloping across the land sounds delightful to me. I even cry when I watch Secretariat win that last race.

What is your favorite food?

Strawberry Shortcake

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Keeping myself on one story long enough to finish it. Now when a new story attacks me (yes, that is what they do) I write down the idea and tell it to wait in line with the others.

Tell us about the featured book.  

Set in 1859 Denver, Liberty Belle is a story of finding freedom and forgiveness. A jilted bride, a wayward sheriff, a small boy, outlaws, and a gallows provide plenty of action, romance, and  hope.

Liberty Longstreet was left at the altar, but that wasn’t the worst of her day. She awakens to the fact that she needs to declare independence from her controlling mother. Wanting her freedom and to find a man of her choosing, Libby leaves home for faraway Denver. She just doesn't count on being robbed, falling for a wayward sheriff, or being accused of

murder.

Sheriff Wade Calder throws down his badge in a quest for revenge. Instead, he takes responsibility for his enemy’s young son. Wanting only to be free, Wade runs into Libby, and she wins what is left of his heart. Unfortunately, he has nothing to offer her until he picks up his badge. His honor is restored, but it may cost Libby her

life.

Together they learn the cost of freedom and the wealth of forgiveness.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Liberty Belle

By

Patricia PacJac Carroll

Crimson, Missouri

1859

I can do this. I will. I have to. Liberty Auraria Longstreet stared into the gold-framed mirror hanging in the tiny, church, dressing room. She hoped to come up with an answer, a secret way to escape her fate. Instead, her image told the facts. She was to be married. Today. To Thomas Garvey. And all because Mother lay so near death that her weakened condition prevented even her attendance at the wedding.

Libby’s groaning sigh stirred the air in the claustrophobic enclosure. Why did Mother’s dying heart have to sentence hers to a life with a man she didn’t love? Libby pulled the lace hanky from her sleeve, fingered the intricately initialed E, and wiped a tear from her cheek.

With eyes squeezed shut, she searched her mind for the man in her dreams. The one she’d imagined on countless, long nights. The one she’d dreamed of under sun-filled skies in the garden. The one she desired to come find her, speak life into her heart, and whisk her away to a life of adventure.

She sighed again. He only existed in her dreams. Her hopes had been replaced by Mother’s pale face and gasping desire to know her only child would marry into a prominent family.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website is http://www.patriciapacjaccarroll.com

Thank you, Patty, for sharing your new book with us.


Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Liberty Belle

I know you'll love this book, so even if you don't win, you'll want to get a copy.



Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com